Xbox's Phil Spencer considers PS5 and Nintendo Switch players part of the Xbox community

Xbox head Phil Spencer considers PS5 and Nintendo Switch users part of the overarching Xbox community.

Speaking to Japanese publication Famitsu in a new interview, Spencer was asked about his vision now that Microsoft has successfully acquired Activision Blizzard. The Xbox head stated that because the acquisition lets Xbox put more games on PS5 and Nintendo Switch platforms, he consequently considers players on said platforms to be part of the Xbox community.

Spencer says he considers ROG Ally and Steam Deck users to already be a part of the Xbox community, since they can play Xbox-published games like Redfall and Starfield, for example. As Xbox now has control of Activision Blizzard games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Overwatch 2, Spencer is applying that same logic to PS5 and Nintendo Switch players.

Microsoft's purchase of Activision Blizzard finally closed, after 20 long months of legal standoffs and questions, last month on October 13. Xbox has now complete control of major gaming franchises like Call of Duty, Overwatch, Diablo, World of Warcraft, and many others.

Spencer's new comments are just the latest in a very long line of statements shepherding games like Call of Duty to more platforms, instead of making them exclusive to the Xbox Series X/S. Considering Xbox signed a mammoth 10-year deal to put Call of Duty games on Nintendo systems just earlier this year, it's no surprise Spencer considers the incoming player base part of the Xbox community.

Despite the deal closing, no new Activision Blizzard games are coming to Xbox Game Pass this year, due to the prolonged legal process of acquiring the publisher.